22 
Many of you already know that Mr. Coquillett, in connection with 
Mr. Alex. Craw and Mr. Wolfskill, of Los Angeles, have for some time 
been conducting a series of experiments which lead them to believe that 
they have discovered a gas which possesses the requisite qualities. The 
trees which I have examined that have been treated with this gas, both 
there, at San Gabriel, and at Orauge, lead me to the conclusion that 
they are fully justified in this belief, and several ingenious contrivances 
have been perfected in Los Angeles County whic h give promise of great 
utility and feasibility. Whether the trees are left uninjured, it is per- 
haps premature to say. That they are affected is evident in some cases, 
and what the ultimate effect will be time alone will decide. Let us all 
hope that the promise of this gas will be abundantly fulfilled. Let me 
add, however, that even if it be found that no solitary insect or egg will 
escape treatment with this or any other gas, fumigation will yet no 
more fully exterminate or free the orchard than the proper spraying of 
the kerosene emulsion, but, for the reasons already stated, will have to 
be repeated. In other words, one application, however perfect in de- 
stroying insect life, cannot and should not be depended on. The disad- 
vantage about this gas in my estimation is that it is kept so far a se- 
cret. We cannot perhaps blame the gentlemen for endeavoring to re- 
alize something out of what they consider a valuable discovery that 
will compensate them for the time they have devoted to the purpose ; but 
I am always suspicious of secret or patent insect remedies. My friend, 
Mr. Coquillett, perfected this gas after his employment by the Depart- 
ment of Agriculture ceased. But it is a general truth that the moment 
any person or persons become interested in a patent or in any remedy 
they desire to control, from that moment their judg ment can no longer 
be depended on as to the value of other remedies. 
I have been asked why Mr. Coquillett was not continued in the serv- 
ice of the Department for a longer period, and it is perhaps due to the 
fruit-growers of California and to him to explain why the experiments 
which he began were interrupted. It had been my desire to have two 
agents permanent^ located on the Pacific coast to carry on the work 
of my Division here, for I have long felt that your fruit interests, to say 
nothing of the other agronomic interests of the State, demanded such 
recognition at the hands of our National Government. It so happens 
that in my desire to aid other investigations that bear upon the promo- 
tion of agriculture, I took part in urging the creation of a Division of 
ornithology and mammalogy for the purpose of investigating the habits 
of birds and mammals so far as they affect agriculture and horticulture. 
The friends of ornithology were successful in getting that Division cre- 
ated, but were unable to get an appropriation to carry on the work, ex- 
cept by taking it out of the appropriation for the Entomological Divis- 
ion; and during my absence from the country last June, and after all 
my arrangements had been made for work on the Pacific coast on the 
basis of the appropriation bill passed by the House of Bepresentatives, 
